Whitcomb l



W.,L. JUDSON.

(No Model.)

. UNIVERSAL JOINT. No, 423,562. Patented Mar. 18, 1890.

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UNITED STATES P TENT FFIc IVHITCOMB L. J UDSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS; MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE J UDSON PNEUMATIC STREET RAILWAY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 423,562, dated March 18, 1890.

Application filed June 28, 1889- Serial No. 315,901- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WHIT OMB L. J UDSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Universal Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention was especially designed for use in connection with the converting mechanislnapplicable to the propulsion of streetrailways and other carriages of the character set forth in the United States Letters Patent issued to me on May 7, 1889, numbered, respectively, 402,674, 402,933, and 402,934. It is, however, capable of use elsewhere, wherever it is desirable to couple together a sectional shaft so that the sections may be capable of angular and curvilinear adjustment with respect to each other.

In carrying out my invention I construct the separate sections with telescoping or in terlocking ends having roller-bearings between the telescoping parts. The telescoping parts are preferably of clutch-like form, and the roller-bearings are cones mounted on a central shaft, or radial pins extending outward from a central roller or barrel. The great advantages of this construction are that the sections may be curved to a very short radius or take any desired angular relation, while the whole friction is taken on the rollerbearing, and the separate sections maybe 3 like parts, Figure 1 is a plan View of my invention in working position. Fig. 2 is a 1011- gitudinal vertical section of the same. is a plan view of a pair of shaft-sections and the roller-bearings detached. Fig. 4' is an end view of one of the clutch-heads with roller-bearings in position. Fig. 5 is an end view of clutch withroller-bearing.

A A A" represent separate shaft-sections.

a represents the journals of the same.

B are the clutch-heads, each of which is provided with jaws or telescoping parts b, adapted to engage with each other. One pair Fig. 3

of diainetrically-opposite jaws on each clutchhead are cut away on their opposite faces to form seats I) for the roller-bearings.

C is the center piece of the roller-bearings,

-which, as shown, is barrel-shaped, and is provided with radial pins 0, on which are mounted the cone-shaped rollers D. The center piece rests in the spaces between the pairs of.

.on lines radiating from a common center.

The space between the inner truncated ends of the jaws is just sufficient to admit the center piece C freely, and the seats or cut-away I portions 1) of the two diametrically-opposite jaws form shoulders to prevent endwise movement of the center piece and its radial pins and rollers. The pins or shafts supporting the conical rollers do not receive any part of the strain, which is wholly sustained by the interlocking jaws and the rollers fitting snugly therebetween.

I am aware that universal joints provided with interlocking ends and roller-bearings are not broadly new.

It will of course be understood that the journals a a of each shaft-section are to be so mounted in suitable boxesas to freely rotate therein, said boxes preventing endwise movement of the sections, and thereby keeping their clutch ends in engagement.

As shown, the shaft is a hollow drum; but of course it might-equally well be solid.

WVh'at I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. of the United States, is as follows:

1. A shaft composed of separate sections, each provided with a journal at one end and a cl utch-head carried by said journal, and each having a clutch-head at the opposite end, and rollerbearings mounted between each pair of clutch-heads, substantially as set forth.

of the jaws and having projecting pins, and cone-shaped rollers mounted on the pins, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the shaft-sections having projecting jaws at each end, with a clear-central space between the jaws; two

diametrically-opposite jaws being cut away to form seats, of a barrel-shaped center piece mounted in the said space, and cone-shaped rollers on pins projecting from the vcenter I0 piece and located in said seats, substantially WHITOOMB L. JUDSON. In presence of-- J AS. F. WILLIAMSON,

EMMA F. ELMoRE.

as set forth. 

